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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Holiday Shopping: 6 Must Haves for This Genealogist

Over on the Armchair Genealogist, Lynn Palermo has very conveniently helped all genealogists by putting together a holiday shopping list for their loved ones. She has made some great recommendations and I highly suggest you check it out.

While Lynn was being very generous with her ideas, I am going to be very selfish. This list of six items contains what I want for Christmas. I don't want you to give it to somebody else, I want somebody to give it to me!

@Ellen - What do individual societies offer? One society I joined for $40/year included 3 hours of research in their archives & library, including photocopies of everything pertaining to the names I was researching. Broke a brickwall with a will they included! Another society gives members access to NewspaperArchives.com with their membership. Check with the society in the areas you're researching to find out what they might offer along with membership!

Ellen, as Tami mentioned many societies offer different benefits. The one I am after primarily is a publication that will feature research from the state which will help me with my own research. But online databases are good too. Some societies have surname lists so researchers can connect that way. But like I said, primarily I am looking for publications.

Wonderful ideas, Marian. My family always asks "don't you want any gifts that are NOT genealogy-related??" Personally I was hoping for a 4-in-1 printer/scanner so it would take up less room. My old flatbed scanner won't work on Windows7. Don't know if Santa caught that hint. Well, we can hope!

I have a similar list — MUCH greedier than yours. I want memberships in every society that could be of help and ability to purchase all the books I can think of wanting (the books include novels as well as genealogy).

I probably WILL get one membership and one book, but as you say, a girl can dream.(And I have already 3 new society joins this year: MoSGA, SLAPG, and OGS.)

Marian love you wish list. For the last couple of years I tell my husband I don't want anything for my Birthday (December) or Christmas because I will get my own. That way I can get what I want for genealogy stuff and not feel guilty. Things like subscriptions and memberships, ordering records. There were many years I couldn't afford any of these things so my mother funded me.

Tami and Marian, thanks. I'm not really working seriously enough in Massachusetts to feel like calling MSOG for more information, but I do wish individual societies clearly listed benefits of membership on their Web sites. :) For now, I'll assume I should put my limited budget toward proven resources like NEHGS and Ancestry, but I'll keep this in mind for later....

What a great wish list! I'll take all of the above! Add some more $$$ for booksbooksbooks, and a 2-3 courses, minimum of two weeks in Salt Lake City, and I might be okay for a year or more - I think. My family know I'm hoping for at least one genealogy-focused gift this year! Merry Christmas indeed!